Vacuum cleaner



Dec. 1-6, 1941. w. LEATHERS VACUUM CLEANER Original Filed Aug. 5, 1938 '1 VEN OR.

Reiaued Dec. 16,1941- UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE.

"ma -mm a I l Original No.2,192,35"l, dated March 5, 1940, Serial No. 223,261, August 5, 1938. Application for reissue December 24, 1940, Serial No. 371,602

12 Claims.

' tlcal rather than a horizontal axis.

The object of my invention is to. produce a light weight, compact machine oi small bulk, especially for domestic use, having therein a fixed filter, L e., one that is not removed for emptying dirt from the machine, together with a convenient and practical means of shaking such filter for keeping its perviosity at a high state efliciency for filtering purposes.

I Further objects will appear in the sub-joined specification and drawing, of which: I

Figure 1 is a vertical elevation, partially crosssectloned, of my vacuum-cleaner showing filter and shaker-mechanism. I

Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the shaker-mechanism.

At the bottom of my vertical-axis, canistertype vacuum-cleaner l is disposed a dirt-receptacle 2 removable from the body of the machine along the horizontal line 3. The dirt-receptacle is provided with a hose attachment 4. The main body of the machine comprises three zones. The

first zone comprises a shell 5 surrounding the filter 6 which iscomposed of two co-axial, conical sections 1 and 8,.joined by a ring 9, preferably made of clock-spring. The filter may be joined to the ring in any. desired manner as by sewing the fabric around it and is joined in an air-tight manner at its outer rim to the lower rim 0! the shell 5. The filter 6 is joined to the case 5 at its base The second zone comprises a shell l2 supporting therein a motor-blower-unii 13 by means of rubber cushion segments l4 or other suitable means. For more complete description of this arrangement and construction see my copending application for Letters Patent No. 209,909, filed May 25, 1938. Above the motorunit l3, within the casing l2, there is a chamber II in which various accessories may be suitably disposed. These may consist of motor switch.

proximately centralized location. A plurality, preferably two, of springs 23, having one end joined to the casing l2 and the other end joined to the filter ring 9, tend to hold the filter firmly in the position shown. The ,third zone consists oi an open top cap or dome from which the exhaust air escapes upward and the internal portion of which may be used for sound mufller,

auxiliary filter or other purposes. To the dome 26 is firmly joined ahollow die-cast handle-post 21 which supports a free-end carrying-handle 23; A metal inner core 30 in the horizontal member oi. the carrying-handle is hinged to the postz'l strain-relief for electric cord inlet, an opening for joining a blower-hose, preferably of smaller at 3|. The core 30 is covered with rubber 32.

A push-rod 35 suitably socketed on the under side of the horizontal handle core 30 is joined at its lower end 31, in a hingeable manner, to a how 39. The bow is hingeably joined to the case 12 at 40. The outer tips of the bow 4| are hingeably joined to push rods 42. The push rods 42 extend downward between the motor-blower-unit and the case l2to which they are hingeably joined to the filter ring 9 as at 45. Between the motorblower-unit l3 and the case I2 is a suitable packing or air resistor, not shown, or felt or other suitable material through which the push rods 42 pass in a free-moving but substantially airtight manner.

When the filter requires shaking, preliminary to emptying the machine or on other occasions for improving the air-flow through the machine, the horizontal handle bar 20 is pressed downward and released as many times as is required. When this handle is pressed downward it depresses the bar 39 by means of the push-rod 35 which in turn depresses the filter ring 9 by means of the connecting rods 42,'putting the filter in a loose'position, as shown in dotted lines. When downward pressure on the handle is removed the filter is drawn upward to its taut position by the springs 25 and the handle 28 is raised to a horizontal position by the shaker-mechanism just described.

I claim:

1. In a vacuum-cleaner, a lower shell for receiving the accumulated dirt and having an air inlet, an upper shell joined to the lower shell along a continuous air-tight substantialy circular horizontal joint, said upper shell supporting therein a motor-driven-air-impelling-unit and having an air outlet for same, a conical reentrant filter with its base joined to the upper shell in an tially coaxially with both said shellsand the said unit, and held by means'depending from said motor-unit, with a substantial portion 01' said motor-unit disposed within said reentrant portion or said filter ior holding said depending means, and with means for agitating the said ring for shaking the filter, said latter means joined to the side wall ofsaid upper shell, and

extending through said upper shell and having an external, manually operable handle.

2. In a vacuum-cleaner. a lower shell for-receiving the accumulated dirt and having an air mm with its base joined to the upper shell is an air-tight manner adjacent said horizontal joint, its fold joined to a still ring member and its downwardly projecting apex disposed substantiallycoaxial with both said shells and the said unit, with a substantial portion of the said unit disposed within said reentrant portion of said filter, and with means '01 agitating the said ring for shaking the filter comprising a yieldable member joined to the said ring on the upper side of said filter and'exerting energy upward.

inlet, an upper shell joined to the lower shell stantially co-axial with both said shells and the said unit, and held by means depending from said motor-unit, with a substantial portion of said motor-unit disposed within said reentrant portion of said filter for holding said depending 6. In a vacuum-cleaner, a lower shell for receiving accumulated dirt and having an air inlet, an upper shell joined to the lower shell along a continuous air-tight, substantially circular,

- horizontal loint,- said upper shell supporting therein a motor-driven-air-impelling-unit and having an air outlet for same, a conical reentrant filter with its base joined to the upper shellin an air-tight manner adjacent said horizontal joint, its fold joined to astifi ring member and ,its downwardly projectingapex disposed submeans, and with means for agitating the said 7 ring for shaking the filter, said means comprising a bow linked to said ring and attached in a hingeable manner to the side wall 01' said top shell, andhaving a member extending through said upper shell to a manually operable handle.

3. In a vacuum-cleaner. a, lower shell for receiving the accumulated dirt and having an air inlet, an upper shell joined to the lower shell along a continuous air-tightsubstantially circular horizontal joint, said upper shell supporting therein a motor-driven-air-impelling-unit and having an air outlet for same, a conical reentrant filter with its base joined to the upper. shell in an air-tight manner adjacent said horizontal joint, its fold joined to a still ring member and.

- its downwardly projecting. apex disposed substantially coaxial with both said shells and the said unit, and means for agitating the said ring for shaking the filter, said means comprising a bow operably related at its tipsto said ring and attached in a hingeable manner to the side wall of said top shell and springs disposed within the upper shell for exerting energy upward on the 4. In a vacuum-cleaner, a lower shell for receiving accumulated dirt and having an air inlet, an upper shell joined to the lower shell along a continuous air-tight, substantially circular, horizontal joint, said upper shell supporting therein a motor-driven-air-impelling-unit and having an air outlet for same, a conical reentrant filter with its base joined to the upper shell in an air-tight manner adjacent said horizontal joint,

its fold joined to a still ring member and its downwardly projecting apex disposed substantially coaxially with both said shells and the said 5. In a vacuum-cleaner, a lower shell for receiving accumulated dirt and having an air inlet,an' upper shell joined to the lower shell along a continuous air-tight, substantially circular, horizontal joint, said upper shell supporting therein a. motor-driven-air-impelling-unit and having an air outlet for same, a conical reentrant stantially coaxially with both said shells and the said unit, an air inlet at the center and bottom 01' said motor-unit and withia substantial portion of said unit disposed within the said reeti- I trant portion of said filter, said-unit comprising an inverted-cone-shaped case and having an air inlet'at the bottom, and means of holding the filter free-from said inlet.

'7. In a vacuum-cleaner, a lower shell for receiving accumulated dirt and having an air invlei:, an upper shell joined to thelower shell along characterized by having means for agitating said a continuous air-tight, substantially circular, horizontal joint, said upper shell supporting therein a motor-driven-air-impelling-unit and having an air outlet for same, a conical reentrant filter with its base joined to the upper shell in an air-tight manner adjacent saidhorizontal joint, its told joined to a still ring member and its downwardly projecting apex disposed substantially coaxially with both saidshells and the said unit, a substantial portion of said unit disposed within the said reentrant-portion or the filter, said unit comprising an inverted-coneshaped case and having an air inlet at the bottom, the lower portion of said case depending into and substantially conforming with the reentrant portion or said filter, and means associated with said unit for holding said downwardly projecting reentrant portion or the filter substantially coaxial with the said case, free from the air inlet and positioned to permit the tree flow of air between the said case and said filter when seeking the inlet to said fan.

8. The device described in claim 4, further characterized by having means joined to said ring for shaking said filter and with the same means agitable by a handle disposed outside the cleaner.

9. The device described in claim 4, further filter joined to an external manually operable handle;

10. The device described in claim 7, further characterized by having means 01 agitating the ring by means of a bow joined thereto, which is also joined through the wall of the cleaner to an external manually operable handle.

11. In a vertical-axis canister-type suctionclaner, a motor-suction-unit, a reentrant-coneshaped dust-separator with a ring-member joined to the fold thereof, resilient means exerting force upward on said ring-member for holding said dust-separator in its operating position,

control means for extending said resilient means and moving said ring out of normal position, said means comprising a manually operable handle joined to a hinged bow, and tie members extending between the supporting ring-member and the tips of said bow, with said motor-suction-unit disposed between said tie members. i

12. In a vertical-axis canister-type suctioncleaner, an outer casing comprising' a top case and a dirt-receiving-chamber at the bottom in communication with a. cleaning hose, 8. reentrant-cone-shaped filtering-element disposed above and forming the top of said chamber, said element Joined at its fold to a ring member, a

spring attached to said ring member to hold such filter in its operating position, a'motor-suction-unlt disposed above said element and partially within the reentrant portion thereof, a depressable handle Joined to the top 01' said top case, and means joined between said handle and said ring member tor purposes of shaking the said filtering-element, said means comprising two rigid tie members extending vertically on 0pposite sides of the said motor-unit joined together at the top by a third rigid member which is operably joined to said depressable handle.

WARD LEATHERS, 

